Nārada, the divine sage, approached Lord Kṛṣṇa and spoke with reverence: “O master of all worlds, it is no wonder that you show friendship to everyone and exercise self-restraint even toward the wicked. For the welfare of the world, you descend by your own will, maintaining and protecting all beings. We know well of your glorious deeds.” He continued, “Having seen your feet—those very feet that grant liberation, cherished in the hearts of Brahmā and other wise souls, a refuge for those lost in worldly existence—I wander, ever meditating upon you. Please, grant me your grace that I may always remember you.” Eager to witness Kṛṣṇa’s divine play, Nārada, on another day, entered the house of one of Kṛṣṇa’s many wives, desiring to understand the extent of the Lord’s yoga-māyā, the mystic power by which he performs his wondrous deeds. There, he saw Kṛṣṇa engaged in a game of dice with his beloved consort and Uddhava. Kṛṣṇa was honored with the highest devotion—his hosts rose to greet him, offered him a seat, and performed other acts of respect. Then, as if unaware of Nārada’s arrival, Kṛṣṇa inquired, “When did you arrive, O Lord? What could we, who are incomplete, possibly do for one as complete as yourself?” Still, he requested, “O brāhmaṇa, please tell us about this beautiful birth.” Amazed by the Lord’s humility and play, Nārada rose silently and moved on to another house. In that house too, he found Govinda delighting his young sons. In yet another, he saw Kṛṣṇa preparing for his bath. Elsewhere, Kṛṣṇa was offering oblations into sacred fires, performing sacrifices with five kinds of rituals, feeding the brāhmaṇas in some places, and in others, partaking of the remnants himself. In some homes, Kṛṣṇa sat at twilight, reciting the Vedas with focused speech; in others, he was seen walking the paths of archers, sword and shield in hand. Sometimes he traveled with horses, elephants, and chariots, accompanied by Balarāma; elsewhere, he reclined on a couch, being praised by court bards. Nārada saw him consulting with his ministers such as Uddhava in one place, and in another, sporting in the water surrounded by the foremost women of the palace. In some homes, Kṛṣṇa gave well-adorned cows to the best of the brāhmaṇas; in others, he listened to auspicious histories and Purāṇas. At times, he laughed at home with his beloved through playful stories; elsewhere, he was engaged in the duties of dharma, and in other places, in the pursuits of wealth and desire. In one home, he sat alone, meditating on the Supreme Person beyond nature; in another, he served his teachers with gifts and offerings. In some places, Keśava was making treaties; elsewhere, he was making war. Sometimes, together with Balarāma, he contemplated the welfare of the virtuous. At the appropriate times, he arranged the marriages of his sons and daughters, giving them spouses of equal standing and providing suitable wealth. He celebrated grand festivals for his children—such as their departures and initiations. Witnessing all these, the worlds marveled at the Lord of the masters of yoga. In some places, Kṛṣṇa worshipped all the gods with powerful sacrifices; in others, he fulfilled dharma through wells, gardens, monasteries, and similar acts of charity. Sometimes he was seen hunting, riding a Sindhu horse, surrounded by the foremost Yadus, and there he performed ritual animal sacrifices. With a form not visible to all, he moved among the inner chambers and elsewhere, the Lord of yoga, desiring to experience various states. Having seen these extraordinary manifestations of yoga-māyā and the human-like conduct Kṛṣṇa had assumed, Nārada, smiling inwardly, spoke to Hṛṣīkeśa: “We know your yoga-māyā, which is difficult to perceive even for those skilled in illusion. It shines forth from you, the Lord of yogis, through service at your feet.” He then asked permission: “O Lord, allow me to depart for the worlds flooded with your fame. I will wander, singing your playful deeds that purify the universe.” The Blessed Lord replied, “I am the speaker and agent of the duties of householders, acting with their approval. To teach this, I have taken up this world—do not grieve, my son.” Śuka then explained: Thus, as Kṛṣṇa performed the pure duties that sanctify householders, Nārada saw the Lord present in every home, the one who abides everywhere. Repeatedly witnessing Kṛṣṇa’s great display of yoga-māyā, whose power is limitless, the sage was filled with wonder and curiosity. Honored fully by Kṛṣṇa, who was devoted to the duties of wealth, pleasure, and righteousness, Nārada departed, his heart pleased, remembering only Him. Thus, following the path of human life, Nārāyaṇa—whose power is manifest for the sake of all beings—enjoyed himself among sixteen thousand chosen wives, surrounded by their bashful, affectionate glances and smiles. Whatever actions Hari performed here—actions that are the cause of the universe’s creation and dissolution, and have no other object—whoever sings, hears, or approves of them, O dear one, devotion arises in their heart for the Lord, on the path of liberation. Thus ends the sixty-ninth chapter, named “The Vision of Krishna’s Household Life,” in the tenth book, second half, of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the great Purāṇa, the scripture of the supreme swan. As dawn approached and the roosters crowed, Śuka continued, the wives of Kṛṣṇa, afflicted by separation, were embraced by their husbands. The birds, awakening, seemed to sing praises of Kṛṣṇa, their sleepless songs stirred by the gentle breezes from the Mandara forest. For a moment, Vaidarbhi could not bear the sweet pain of separation from her beloved, having been nestled in his arms. At the Brahma hour, rising and touching water, Mādhava, with a clear mind, meditated on himself—the one beyond darkness. He is the one, self-luminous, unique, imperishable, eternally pure by his own nature, called Brahman, whose creation and dissolution of the world are caused by his own powers, and whose bliss is revealed through those energies. Then, having bathed properly in pure water and donned clean garments, the most virtuous one performed the sequence of morning rituals. He offered fire, recited the sacred mantras with controlled speech, and presented himself to the rising sun. He satisfied the portions of his own self, worshipped the gods, sages, ancestors, elders, and brāhmaṇas, remaining self-possessed. Every day, he gave to the brāhmaṇas cows with golden horns, virtuous and adorned with pearl garlands, yielding milk, healthy, with calves and fine clothing. He also gave them cows with silver-tipped hooves, along with linen, deer skins, and sesame seeds. He bowed to cows, brāhmaṇas, deities, elders, teachers, and all living beings. Then, touching auspicious objects that had sprung from himself, he invoked blessings for the day ahead.